Courtesy of Connecticut College
On Friday, December 19, 2025, Connecticut College Dean of Students Victor Arcelus announced a number of changes to Connecticut College housing. These changes include that the College will no longer lease the student-occupied Manwaring apartment building in downtown New London, CT as of the Fall 2026 semester, and that students are no longer permitted to reside off-campus in the upcoming academic year.
Though the lease was not yet set to expire, Dean Arcelus informed “The College Voice” that “Terms of the lease allowed us to step away from the five year lease with diminishing penalties each year for [breaking the lease]…There are costs for breaking the lease but it is nominal.”
In an email to the college community, Dean Arcelus states that he originally hoped the decision to communicate housing changes would come prior to the departure of students from campus during the December finals period. Still, the scale of the decision necessitated many meetings with college administrators and the Board of Trustees prior to announcement.
As communicated by Dean Arcelus, this decision comes in the wake of shifting demand for housing per enrollment statistics as well as budgetary restrictions. The high cost of the Manwaring building in relation to its occupant capacity no longer appears logical for the College to maintain when considered against enrollment numbers following graduation of the Class of 2026. According to Dean Arcelus, the class of 2026 welcomed 130 more students than anticipated, which was an unusually large class given typical enrollment trends. Additionally, Connecticut College officials feel the distance between downtown New London and the majority of campus housing removes Manwaring residents from the College’s campus-centered community, as the mission of the College prioritizes a fully residential experience.
In line with such location-focused housing efforts, the College hopes to construct new, on-campus apartments by 2029 in effort to accommodate the loss of the Manwaring building. These apartments are intended to replace the River Ridge, Winch, 191, and Abbey House apartments, and will be constructed in a main campus location yet to be determined. The new apartments will add housing capacity to the college on campus, which will then enable the College to begin the renovation process of the older traditional residence halls on campus.
Beginning in the Fall 2026 semester, density of room occupancy on campus will be largely decreased to lessen the number of occupants per room. For example, some rooms which were previously quads may now be triples, etc.
In continuation of the College’s current practice of preventing occupancy of many basement rooms, additional basement rooms across dorms will be taken offline as appropriate. Details regarding removal of basement rooms within specific dorms have not yet been provided.
While common rooms have been used the last four years to house students, common rooms will no longer be used for housing. By freeing students from living in common rooms, there will be more spaces for students to gather in the residence halls with the hopes of enhancing social experience.
College officials further expressed concern surrounding lack of housing in the New London market, meaning this shift may benefit the New London community through freeing up housing stock. In accordance with this issue, the option to apply to live off-campus in area rental units will not be offered next year. Students who commute from a parent or guardian’s residence within 50 miles of campus are not set to be affected by these changes.
Though this decision likely comes as a surprise to many students, who have enjoyed off-campus housing privileges over the last few years, any perceived loss of housing will not be permanent. The College is actively working to expedite construction towards dorm improvement. CREDO, a higher education consulting firm specializing in campus planning, recently met with students, staff, and faculty to assist with planning of new construction in the fall. CREDO will return in the spring to meet with more groups and will work with previously gathered information. Dean Arcelus asserts that this, “Along with continued community input, will help shape the design of these future apartments. Your engagement will be essential as this work progresses.”
Further information on how to best interact with CREDO will be released in coming months. We at “The College Voice” encourage all community members, faculty, staff, and students to get involved in expressing their opinions.
